i have watched some of the people that host. jimmy kimmel was horrible. and some of these people. if i can't beat out jimmy kimmel in terms of talent to than i shouldn't be president. i want to thank you all because this is a special night and i think you're going to see by the end of this evening you're going to say that this is one of the most special days in your life and a few of whom have already told me it already was so thank you very much, congratulations and we will see you in a couple of minutes. thank you. [applause] thank you, media. thank you, media. thank you very much. please. thank you very much. thank you very much. >> later, president trump spoke at a dinner for the 2025 kennedy center honoree is held at the state department. >> i want to thank secretary marco rubio, my friend and a

very talented man who works very hard and his wonderful wife jeanette for hosting us this evening. [applause] as we celebrate the 2025 kennedy center honoree's and they are great honorees. sylvester stallone. [applause] he wasn't going to miss this. we heard he was woken up. i said now we can start. you look great. thank you very much. george strait. [applause] gloria gaynor.

[applause] thank you very much. the legendary michael crawford. [applause] thank you, michael. thank you very much. really an honor to have you. i don't want to say how many times i have seen you in phantom. when you have a great artist. it's true with paintings, it's true with music, it's true with dance. every time you see it it gets better and you see things you have never seen before. i have seen you many times. there has never been anybody like you. thank you. thank you very much. [applause]

truly legendary rock band, kiss. [applause] thank you very much. this is really pure talent. a lot of talent. as has ever been assembled under one roof. we have done something they have never done before and i will be doing something that hasn't been done before. the president of the united states is hosting at the request of a certain television -- [applause] i'm doing it because i think it's very important that we'll learn how to do something. we have such wonderful people and i don't mind doing it. but these are some of the greatest of all time and congratulations to all of you and thank you very much to

tiffany and company. they have done a beautiful job with the metals. and i want to thank the families. everyone one of you brought large numbers of your families here and we appreciate that and they appreciate you, i can tell you. a very special thanks as well to our terrific kennedy center board of trustees along with executive director ric grenell. the board of trustees has been amazing. it's got to be the hottest board -- i don't know, the supreme court is pretty hot. the supreme court, the u.s. senate, the nfl owners committee. but i think the board of the kennedy center is turning out to be, we have so many people. so many enemies now. [applause] you have been fantastic and ambassador sergio gore is now going to india.

[applause] good luck. 1.5 billion people. think of that. one point 5 billion. can you handle that? i think you can. you can handle anything. but you're going to be dealing with a very special leader as you know, a friend of mine. you are going to do very well. good luck. you are making their journey in two weeks. good luck. i may never see him again. [laughter] also want to thank sec.'s howard lutnick, doug burgum, fcc chairman brendan carr, my daughter tiffany and her wonderful husband michael and so many other distinguished guests. we have other secretaries, i'm seeing some of you in the crowd. you are good looking crowd. i also want to thank everyone here tonight who has so

generously supported our effort to restore and revitalize the kennedy center was in rough shape. to a lesser extent but the white house was in rough shape. bringing the white house back room by room. the lincoln bedroom, had to fix it up. leaving at the way it was but fixed up. it's in tippy top shape. i always used to say it's got to be tippy top. you had a lot of other presidents that weren't into that. i am. i've always been into it. the oval office has reached a new level. the cabinet room. everybody always wants to see the cabinet room. it is so beautiful now. took some paintings that were in big bolts. we have great curators. seven of them. they love the place. some of them have been there for 40 years and if they don't like you, you don't get the painting you want. you don't get the declaration of independence brought up into the

oval office. a couple of other president suffered without it because they said, not going to be able to do it. but they've been great. we have tremendous artwork being brought up and has been brought up. it was sitting 450 years downstairs under the white house and now we have it on walls throughout the building. before we put them up, we make sure those walls are in perfect shape. you have to make sure these walls are up before you do anything and we have done a lot of work. we have redone great marble floors that were beat to hell. we have done not good floors out of one by one boxes from certain stores. they should not have been there. and we replace them with the most beautiful marble, statuary marble. great white and black marble.

forms grace and big parts of italy. and italy during a time when italy is extremely strong and greece when greece was greece and they had that and we now have that in the white house for placing one by one tiles that were not good. but we fix the white house and we fixed the kennedy center. the kennedy center's some work to be done. we have worked very hard on it actually. i spent a lot of time with contractors. i have two jobs which is really like relaxation for me i did it all my life. they said you need a new roof. there's a lot of water coming down. you need a new roof. it has been there for 45, 50 years. we are doing brand-new air conditioning. carrier has been so incredible. they made a big donation. we were bidding out the ballroom and carrier came along.

they said sir we would like to contribute the air conditioning for the ballroom. it's like $17 million. that's a lot of air conditioning and heating. a great steel company came along and said sir we would like to contribute steel. that's a big account. we had caterpillar tractor come along and they said sir we would like to contribute all of the tractors, excavation equipment and all of the lifts and generators and everything you have in the ballroom. it's a lot of complex equipment that you wouldn't think of so i want to thank caterpillar and others. they have really been very gracious so we are having the same thing happen at the kennedy center. they viewed as a very important thing. we have marble experts. some of the greatest marble people anywhere in the world taking this marble that was in such bad shape. the marble is great.

big beautiful slabs. you don't get them like that anymore. they don't make them. with the tender loving care. if you take 1/100th of an inch off the top of the marble, you have brand-new marble. people don't know that. they say the marble is stained or the marble is gone. if you go just a little bit, take just a little bit of that skin off and you get it down, it's called grinding. you grind it down just 100th of an inch, you have a brand-new slab of marble and you saved a little money. they thought we had to take all the marble off the building and replace the marble. it was going to cost, we had prices from 59 million dollars to $75 million. and what you replaced it with was not nearly as good as what

we already have. so it's sort of -- i like to tell you those little construction because we talk politics all the time and i like politics, too. i said to somebody the other day and my a politician or construction real estate person? and i didn't know how to answer that question. i'm not sure how to answer that either if you want to know the truth but i actually get great relaxation out of fixing the white house and fixing the kennedy center and it takes a little time but not really because it's time that some people want to rest. i don't really want to rest. i want to do things and to me it relaxes me. it's really almost better than resting. and we are bringing these places, these places of great distinction we are bringing them back and the kennedy center is going to be incredible. within 10 months you're going to see something that you would be amazed at. the sound is great and if you

have don't sound, i don't want to say anything bad about lincoln center but they have had a lot of problems over the years with sound. some of you are on that board here tonight. very distinguished board also. as you know at lincoln center that they have a sound problem and they have rebuilt one of their great buildings because the sound was always bad and they can't get it right. they can't get it right. it's a very hard thing to do. you have to be a little bit lucky. some of the greatest opera houses in the world in europe were built 200 years ago, 300 years ago and they had no sound engineers in those days but they did have a lot of marble and stone and marble and stone make really great sound. i say we have gloria, we have kiss, we have george strait. think of it. the great michael crawford. they know what i'm talking about probably better than anyone else in the whole world.

sound is a big deal and if you don't have it in a building, you pretty much never have it. they spend millions and millions of dollars. they take it apart. they put up new walls and new seats and they open it up and it's a disaster. the one thing with kennedy center, they have great sound. we are putting up large slabs of marble and a couple of great halls. as good as it is it has made it even better. marble can do that. so we have reviewed every, everything you have to review and we -- this cherished institution and the kennedy center was really, the money they spent over the years. they spent so much money. we are still trying to find out where did they spend all that money but they didn't know what they were doing and it's a shame. and we almost lost that

building. that building was very close structurally. they have reversed it. it's going to be in great shape for literally 100 years. it's going to be in better shape than ever before. so we have done a real job. we have restored historic funding for the kennedy center and we got that done under the great big beautiful bill that they said was impossible to get past. they said you can't do it, it's too big. the democrats are absolutely crazy. i have some democrat friends but they are crazy. we put it all in one. there is something for everybody and we got it approved with a pretty small majority. we got a little support from some of the rational democrats. one of the things we were able to do is help very much the kennedy center.

they got so many other things. the largest tax cuts in history. no tax on tips. for the workers, no tax on tips. no tax on social security for our great seniors. no tax on overtime. nobody thought that was possible. these people don't know about buying cars. middle income people, they never had this before. if you go out of your own money you are now allowed to deduct the interest for income tax purposes. never happened before. we have so many things on the great big beautiful bill but one of the things we have is we are going to rebuild our city washington, d.c., we now have one of the safest cities in the country. it was a horror show when i came here. a year and a half ago this city was so dangerous. a year ago it was so dangerous. we have been there 10 months and we are setting records of

safety. we have virtually no crime. we had terrorism a few weeks ago. are we and a half ago. horrible terrorism. but it sounds like we were doing so well that the terrorists felt they didn't want to see us do very well but we have a safer capital as anywhere in the world and we had one of the most unsafe capitals. [applause] and i walk into the white house and people say thank you very much. they thanked me for wars that we have stopped and the tax cuts. they are thanking me because they can actually walk to the white house. they feel safe in the city. our national guard have been unbelievable. [applause] good to see tom homan and all the people that work so hard. we went into new orleans,

memphis. we have a lot of opposition there. they want to have crime, it is a crazy thing. chicago, just a little dose of what we do really well. we'll at some point just go in and do it the way we want. we won't have any crime in chicago. we'll stop it everywhere. we do. we had a very good governor from louisiana, he said please do me a favor. send the troops into new orleans. it's really gotten bad. we'll do it. we sent them in. within three days, everyone said it was a different place. he's a smart governor. some of the governors, you would be surprised. we are stopping crime. i said during the campaign we will stop crime. nobody knew we would have a border.

in six months, not one person came into our country illegally, think about that. [applause] we went from the worst where millions and millions -- 25 million people over the course of the four years came into our country. many from prisons and gang members, drug dealers, mental institutions. they came into our country. murderers. 11,888 murderers. many of them are either out or in jail. more than 50% of those people murdered more than one person. we took a very strong stand and people are really liking it. drugs coming into our country by sea down 94%. [applause] i am trying to figure out who

the other 6% is because frankly, i think they have to be the bravest people. who are the 6% that are still trying to come in? down 94%. we will start that same process on land because we know every route, we know every house. we know where they live. they kill 300,000 people last year. that is like a war. not going to let it happen. we are doing a job that no one else can do. we're building this institution back to what it should be. the premier venue for the arts. d.c. is now a safe place. people want to be here. restaurants are opening. you back a year, no one wants to go to restaurants. they lost 40% of the restaurants. the restaurants that were open -- people felt unsafe even sitting waiting for a meal. people would come in and do bad things. we don't have that anymore.

you cannot even get into a restaurant now in washington, d.c. we are showcasing our country. we are always going to have it because the capital of the united states of america should be a safe and beautiful place and we are fixing it. we are fixing the roads, we are removing the graffiti with the most beautiful marble you've ever seen, granite. better on the outside because the marble is very porous. during the biden administration, they spilled a lot of red paint on marble. working really hard to get it off. it is a disgrace what they were allowed to do. it is also disgrace they allowed millions of people into our country illegally. they are not people that we want to have. we want people coming into our country that can love our country. [applause]

the generosity of so many outstanding donors. we've had so many people that are so generous. it has been incredible. as you know, this is america's 250th anniversary. we have all these people. next year is round the corner. we have the world cup coming in the olympics coming. i got the olympics, i got the world cup. i cannot take credit for 250 years. i tried to do that but it didn't work. 250 years, it is going to be incredible. on june 14, we are having a fight. all the greatest champions in the world, the ufc fight, they are building an arena in front of the white house if you can believe it. [applause] 6000 seats.

they were going to build it for the fight. the greatest champions of the world coming. over 100,000 people out. everyone can see it. i don't think it will be anything like it. flag day happens to be my birthday but i didn't do it for that reason. sir, we like the june 14 date. you know that is my birthday. they didn't know it. i'll take the lead on that. i will tell you that is something. the greatest champions in the world all fighting. the great dana white does a great job. the white house will be the background of the fight. there will never be anything like this. there has never been and there never will be anything like that. a few hours ago, i have a tremendous privilege of presenting the 2025 kennedy honorees with their medallions, the beautiful medallions from tiffany in the oval office.

we thought we would do it here, at different places. we picked the one that we liked the best. that did so well in the oval office. right, michael? he said i've never seen anything like this. there is something about the oval office that is special. even in its poorer state, it was still the oval office and we appreciate it. so many things happened in the oval office. they got to see the beautiful cabinet room which we brought back to life like it should be. it is a beautiful room and it is really a beautiful room. more beautiful than it ever was. but, the american people are proud of our country and proud of her beautiful white house. we are proud of our beautiful kennedy center. now you have it at the top. the lives they've led, the people that are here tonight, the legacies they have forged to

become an integral part of american heritage. all of the people we honor tonight are priceless. it is a cultural heritage you've created. each of you in a very different way. catering to different people, frankly. you add it up, 100% of our population. each of them has given us treasures that will be passed down to every future generation. i don't think you even appreciate what you've done. i don't think you really appreciate your greatness. decades and even centuries from now, people will still watch and admire the films of sylvester stallone. nobody else can do those -- [applause] when he did "rocky," he had no money at all. he had a car barely.

in new york, a place called brooklyn? he got that car and slept in it. he wrote the script for "rocky" along with about 20,000 other people. everyone writes a boxing script, right? for some reason, they loved it. sly did not have $.10, he had nothing. they offer him a lot of money. i think a half million, some number he didn't think was possible. no, i don't want it. i want to make sure you are casting the right person to play the role. they brought in stars, but the stars did not have good bodies. they were not good boxers. sly would look at some of these guys, big names. in one way, that guy cannot play the role. we won't say the names of the

people. for some reason, here's a guy who had no contacts but this one studio loved the script. they were going crazy over it. one of the top people and sly said let me see you box. he cannot play the role. the upper chest area, it is supposed to be solid like a rock. they brought in another one, another one. finally, they looked at sly, man, you are in good shape. you think you can play the role? yeah, i'll play the role. he was willing. that thought they would have somebody. he said that is not a boxer, not a fighter. these good movie stars keep their shirt on, but they are not fighters. he took that role and the rest is history. [applause]

how many people would turn down the role? enough money that he probably thought he could live for the rest of his life. who would turn down that kind of money? he didn't want anything to do with it. he wanted to get it right. just about the largest grossing movie. there's never been anything like it. the whole "rocky" series. and then you had a little thing called "rambo," i loved it. i got to watch it one time. i went to a movie a long time ago. i would like to go again. i love the popcorn. it was "rambo," i knew nothing about it but i like sly. after about four minutes, i said this movie is great. "rambo" gave "rocky" a little run. we loved all of them. really a legend.

each of the people that are being honored, they are treasures that will be passed down to future generations. decades and centuries from now, people will be looking at your work, they will be seeing every one of you. your work is so incredible. the performances of sly, it is all on tape. great michael crawford. it is all on tape. thank goodness because he could not see him, you would miss that. michael crawford, the way he moved. the voice was magnificent. the hands, all things. there will never be anything like it. we have it on tape from every different angle. guess what? you are lucky. there are a lot of great people that have never -- [applause] people will be looking, watching

that and comparing it to other plays and other forms in other venues. there will be looking to compare others to you but i don't think they will ever find anything like you. i don't think they will find anybody like you. the look, the movement, the whole deal and then the voice, the beautiful voice. the unforgettable songs of geo rge, gloria, paul, gene, peter, the late great ace who was represented by his daughter. she was crying. all that to me was she loved her father. [applause] the guys loved him. that band has been together for a long time. i know a lot of bands, and

they are gone. these guys get along. i love to watch people and they really respect each other and they like each other. what a job you have done. thank you all. i've known gene for a long time. they are real talents. tonight, they are really appreciated. the world is now watching. the whole world is watching this. thank you very much. on stages and sold arenas around the world, they have spent their lives making the most of their incredible god-given talents. they have talent. 90 years old, still plays. shot 70 with me the other day. incredible. you think biden could do that? i don't think so. cannot lift a club.

gary was demonstrating shots and one guy was having a hard time getting out of the sand trap. he got down to the u.s. open, two u.s. opens back to back. it is good. this poor man i was with, who is blessed with talent but not golf talent. it was sad to watch. you don't understand. ping, ping, ping. he tried to hit the ball. a foot. one was over the green by like 50 yards. the whole day was a disaster. here's the problem, i've got talent and you don't. these groups of people have great talent.

if you don't have talent, there is not a damn thing you can do. you can get a little better but if you don't have talent, there's not a damn thing you can do about it. you just have to find something else you can do. i just want to thank that you will be sharing these gifts because you are sharing a great gift with the world and maybe tonight more so than any time in your career. it is a night the whole world is focused on you. i want to celebrate all of us together. tomorrow, we are paying tribute to them magnificently and you will see something very special. it is so great to have this at the kennedy center. i want to thank fifa for the war they gave me, but more portly for choosing the kennedy center. over one million people watching choosing the teams. you could imagine the thrill.

johnny, the commissioner, is a fantastic guy. like the biggest got in sports. he's saying we have 58 super bowls. a lot of matches. it is all taking place here. don't forget when i made that deal during my first term, and i made the deal for the olympics, man, it so bad because it was six years away. i said won't be present and then i got screwed. said, let's do it again and we did great the second time. won by a lot. [applause] the third time, we won by 10 million votes. very crooked election. i said we have to do it again. these people have never given up. they don't give up.

[applause] bob kraft, look at him. he had a lousy team last year and now leading the nfl again. i am sure they are extremely happy for you. no, people don't give up. the real winners have talent but don't ever give up. as president of the united states, a true fan of each of these incredible celebrities but great performers. were are much more than a celebrity. it gives me tremendous pleasure to congratulate them once again and say thank you for your incredible career. thank you for gracing us with the wisdom you have. every one of them. the first lady, who you saw yesterday and will see again tomorrow, we will have a good

time. she congratulates everybody. she's focused on christmas decorations in the white house which she's done a great job. the first year, it was white and beautiful. the media said why white? i said, listen, when something -- next year, we did green. they said why aren't you doing white? the next year we did red, we got killed with the red. nobody does it better. this year, it is so good that they said at the white house looks phenomenal. add up all the other things we've done. i tell people for the first four years, i was the hunted. a lot of times, you fixed up the floors. to redo the bathroom, took a little heat. the worst job was done many years ago.

the truman administration with cheap tile. now we have it done in beautiful marble. it is all beautiful. people said, oh, why is he wasting time? it is saving the heritage of this country. [applause] i will just leave you with the fact that this is a very brilliant and very important group of people in this room tonight. a lot of people wanted to be here. it is very small. this is section a of what is being built. but it is beautiful and i have to say this -- marco rubio is a great secretary.

[applause] and i think he's going to go down as -- we've had some good ones. we've had some bad ones, too. we've had some real dummies and some brilliant. i think marco will go down as the greatest secretary of state in the history of our country. [applause] and i just want to thank everybody. it's a very special journey that we're on. it's a beautiful journey and we're beautifying our country, we're strengthening our country. we're respected again as a country. we're so respected, like never before. whether it's europe, japan. every one of them have tremendous respect.

they used to laugh at us not long ago. a year and a half ago they were laughing at us but they respect us like they've never done before. thank you very much for being here. it's a great honor. [applause]